Upright piano



Jan. 12, 1 937.

H. R. HELLE'R UPRIGHT PIANO Filed March 5, 1936 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES orgies 6 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in the construction of the case and frame of upright pianos whereby greater simplicity of parts is obtained together with easier manufacture and assembling as well as a more elfective mode of operation.

With these and other objects and advantages in view evident to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure, I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, which will be hereinafter described with reference to the invention, and I will then point out the invention in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fore and aft sectional View, partly in elevation, of an upright piano construction within my invention;

Fig. 2 is a iront elevation of the same, only the left-hand end of the piano, however, being shown;

Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary View to illustrate more clearly the interior construction of the foregoing; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective, fragmentary View of the foot and lower portion of the construction.

My present invention in part comprises cutting each side-part Ill of the case out of a single board or plank so that the arm Illa is integral with the main portion Illb` and so that the leg IDc, preferably, is also integral with said arm. Each side-part I0 is secured as shown in Fig. 3, to an end of the so-called piano-back I2,which is the usual heavy-timbered frame to which the sound board I4 and the string-plate I6 are secured.

The foot I8 is a single wooden strip, preferably of rather thick cross-section, one on each side of the case, extending under the leg IUc on that side and under the bottom edge of the main portion Ib of the side-part (Fig. 4). It is reduced in width at its rear-end Illa so as to extend along the end of the piano-back I2 to which it is secured.

The bottom-board 2li of the piano case is secured to the bottom of the piano-back and extends forward for about one half the length of the foot members I8, to whose under side it is secured. The foot members and the ends of the legs I0c are also united.

22 designates cheek-pieces of generally rectangular shape, one for each side-part I0, secured to the inside face of its arm Illa., as best shown in Fig. 3. At the front and the top, these (Cl. S11-177) cheek-pieces are or may be substantially iiush with the arms Illa.. They are notched out or recessed on their bottom edges at 22a (Fig. 3) to receive up into them the ends of the key-bed 2c, which is secured thereto in said position. The key-slip 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) is supported at the front edge of the key bed l between the cheekieces 22 (Figs. 2 and 3). Oi course the key-bed supports the key-board (Fig. 1) in the usual manner.

Each cheek-piece 22 is formed with an L- shaped notch having a vertical limb b which receives the ends of the name-bcard il@ to nish the piano case at the back of the black-keys. The horizontal limb 22e of said notches receives the ends of the book-slip 32. The upper front panel 34 is bottomed in the rear end of said horizontal notches which are purposely made to extend beyond the rear edge of the book-slip, as best shown in Fig. 1. -nis upper panel 34 rests at its upper portion against a stop Sii or the like secured to the inside face of each side part it (Fig. 1). Thus all of the aforesaid parts, namely the name-board, the book slip and the upper panel are supported so as to be readily removable to enable free access when necessary to the interior parts of the piano.

The lower front panel 38 (Fig. 1) is likewise removably supported. For this purpose the inner face of each foot-member I8 is formed with a Vertical notch IBI) (Fig. 4). The lower edge of this panel is receivable down into these notches and rests on the underlying bottom-board 20. (Compare Fig. 4 with Fig. 1.) The inner face of each side-part I0 is equipped with a stop 4i) l (Fig. 1) to contact with the back of the panel. A spring clip 42 mounted on the under-side of the key-bed releasably engages the upper edge of the panel to lock it in place.

Fig. 1 also shows one of the piano pedals 44 pivoted to a fixture 46 on the bottom-board ilo and extending forwardly through a slot in the lower edge of the aforesaid lower panel 38.

Casters 48 are mounted on the under-side of the foot-members i8 at the legs Ic and on the bottom of the piano-back I2 and serve to support the piano upon the oor.

The sides Iil with their one-piece arms lila and legs Ille have the advantage that each can be cut out of a single board. Moreover, this construction enables the outside (and inside) face of said sides to be readily sanded and finished. The cheek-pieces 22 reinforce the arm-portions of the sides and additionally conveniently support the upper panel 34, the book slip 32, the name-board St, etc. The one-piece foot members I 8 at their rear ends have strong attachment to the piano-back l2 and to the bottomboard 2E) and the sides IU of the case; and their front ends give firm support to the legs Hlc. IThe notched inner faces of said foot-members overlying the bottom board 20 constitute an excellent means for detachably supporting the lower panel 38.

The aforesaid improvements accomplish all that is accomplished by the conventional piano case, which has arms and legs sparate from the sides and a dilcrcnt foot construction, and a different means of .support for the key-bed, the name-board, book-slip, and the upper and lower panels. The present improvements accomplish the foregoing by means which is simpler, more effective and less expensive to manufacture.

I have illustrated and described a preferred, satisfactory enocdilnent of my invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Ji/hat I claim is:

l. In an upright piano construction, in combination, a plano-back; sides projecting forwardly from the piano-back, each having a forwardly projecting horizontal arm and a vertical leg depending from the free end of said arm, said leg and arm both oeing an integral part of the same board as the main portion of said side; and loot members projecting forwardly from the piano-back into supporting position under said legs.

In an upright piano construction, in combination, a piano-back; sides projecting forwardly from the piano-back, each having an arm which is an integral part oi' the same board as the main portion of said side; and cheek-pieces, one for each of said rgidly secured to the inner face thereof, cach cheek-piece being substantially flush at its front and top portions with the corresponding portions of the arm to which it is secured.

3. The piano construction of claim 2 further characterized by there being a name-board, a 'oook-slip and a front panel supported by said cheek-pieces, the cheek-pieces being notched vertically downward from their upper edge to receive the name-board, and being horizontally notched at their upper edge rearwardly from said vertical notches to receive the book-slip, said horizontal notches having free rear-ends wherein rests the lower edge of the front panel.

ai. The piano construction ci claim 2 further che acterized by there being a key-bed supported by said cheek-pieces, the lower edge of the sidecheeks being recessed and the key-bed being received up into said recesses and secured to the cheeks.

5. In an upright piano construction, the combination of a piano-back: sides projecting forwardly from the piano-back; arms and footmernbers and vertical legs connecting same; the foot members having their rear portion located at and secured to the ends ci the piano-back;

the previously referred to sides of the pianoat and secured to the ends of the piano-back;

the previously referred to sides of the pianocase resting on top of said foot-members and beeing secured thereto; a bottom board extending forwardly of the piano-back underneath scid foot-rrembers and being secured thereto; and a lower nt panel, the foot-members being Vertically notched at their inner faces over the bottom board to receive the lower edge of said panel.

HENRY R. HELLER. 

